A Night Out
by TheBooknerd
Summary: A missing scene from Kelley's online story, Belonging. Yeah, you know the one... Derek and Chloe fall asleep in the woods...
1. Chapter 1

**A Night Out**

**by TheBooknerd**

A/N: This takes place between _The Reckoning_ and _Belonging_. This story is not connected to my WIP _Awakening_. I know, I know, but keep faith alive.

Disclaimer: Darkest Powers isn't mine. But that would be a cool birthday present someday...

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><p>"Derek?"<p>

"Mmff." Not the most coherent of responses, even for me. But anything better was beyond me. I was too sleepy, too comfortable to wake up enough for speech. Instead, I snuggled further into my pillow and let the sweet heaviness of sleep pull me back under. Or rather, I would have if my pillow hadn't let out a panicked squeak. Strange. It had never done that before . . .

"_Derek_."

Even half-dead to the world, I recognized Chloe's voice. The stress in her tone tugged on my instinct to protect her, threatened to force me into waking . . . but damned if this wasn't the best sleep I've had since getting drugged by Andrew. "Five more minut—ow!"

I opened my eyes, ready to unleash my favorite scowl on whatever creature thought it a good idea to pinch a sleeping wolf. Finding Chloe's own trademark glare aimed my way wasn't a big surprise. I knew it should have been—something wasn't quite right with the situation—but I was distracted by the cute way her nose twitched when she was trying to be fierce. Like a frazzled kitten. With bed head . . .

"So you're awake now?" She looked at me, determinedly meeting my eyes with more intensity than I would have expected first thing in the morning. I had a feeling I was missing something.

I had to clear my throat twice before I could talk coherently. "In theory."

Then again, maybe I was dreaming. Kind of hoped I was. I looked around a little. We were in a cluster of trees and brush, lying on the ground. Chloe half under me with my arm wrapped tight around her. The branches around us filtered most of the dawning sunlight, but I could see easily in the bluish glow. Dirt dusted the right side of her face. Hair was tangled with bits of fallen leaves. She'd obviously spent the night in my arms. If this was a dream, it was a great one.

As I watched, she caught her lower lip between her teeth, cheeks rapidly going pink. She didn't do it on purpose, but that look always spurred some of my less-noble instincts. I lowered my head, planning to catch that lip with my own teeth. At the same time, I pulled her even closer. That is, until an exquisite friction down south made itself known. My breath hitched as a shiver worked through me from head to toe. I looked down the line of our bodies.

Well, hell.

I was completely naked. And I held Chloe so close against me that I was practically pinning her to the ground with my body. And there was no way she didn't notice my morning happy pressed into her leg.

That certainly explained the blush. And the pinching.

Granted, we hadn't been completely chaste in the weeks—almost two months—that we'd been together. There'd been kissing. A lot of kissing, really. And some touching. But we were still far away from anything close to sex. I didn't think Cloe could even say the word with a straight face.

The drowsy fog left me in a rush. I remembered the night before, playing one of our post-Change games of hide and seek. I had taken too long to seek and found Chloe fast asleep in a thicket. I know I should have woken her and taken her home. But she didn't always sleep well. And seeing her pale and tired made me anxious. So, for both our sakes, I thought I'd let her rest for a while. Out there in the woods, there weren't any ghosts to pester her. No Lauren to monitor every touch or word exchanged. No parents, or siblings, or randomly exploding spells. So I'd settled in next to her to keep her warm—and, okay, because I like being close—to take a short nap.

Except, when I'd lain down with her, I was a wolf. And it wasn't so short of a nap. Guess she wasn't the only one who hadn't been sleeping well.

So, there we were the next morning. Somewhere along the way, I'd changed back from my wolf form. Without waking up. I wouldn't have thought it possible. And yet.

The implications of that would have consumed my attention any other time. At that moment, however, I had more immediate concerns. I tried to lie perfectly still, as if that would make other things less noticeable. I looked back up at Chloe, saw the nervousness in her eyes. I never pretended to be the suavest of boyfriends, but the survivalist in me sensed the pitfalls ahead. I was pretty certain rubbing your naked erection against your girlfriend without her express permission led to doom or certain death. Christ, tell me I didn't hump her leg.

_Focus, Souza. Play it cool_. "So, I guess we fell asleep."

"Uh huh."

"And we've been out here all night."

"Yep."

I eased back to give her a little space. And to remove any aforementioned friction. I started to sit up, but Chloe surprised me by grabbing my arm and holding me in place. She blushed again at the look on my face but didn't let go.

"It's easier to keep looking you in the eye when you're lying down," she said. She tried on a confident expression. I couldn't resist a little teasing.

"You sound pretty certain about that. I thought you don't peak when I'm Changing."

She smiled and shrugged. "Well, a girl's gotta live a _little_."

I chuckled, reaching up to pull a twig out of her hair. "Think anyone's noticed us missing, yet?"

Her eyes widened. "Oh, god. I hadn't even thought that far. I woke a few minutes ago, and my mind kind of got stuck on . . . _that_." She gestured with a vague flop of her hand.

I barked a laugh, amused to find myself oddly insulted. But then, I doubt any guy liked to hear his girlfriend and maybe-probably-someday lover refer to his special parts in quite that way.

"Crap, I didn't . . . I don't think of it as a _that._ Not that I sit around thinking about it. Oh! Not that I wouldn't. I mean . . ." She fumbled with the apology, caught between insulting and complimenting my manhood. I just grinned and watched the show, floppy gestures included. She finally gave and glared at me. "Oh, stop it."

I couldn't help it, then. I had to kiss her.

I let myself fall into the many sensations of kissing Chloe Saunders. The taste of her lips and delicate slide of her tongue. That little sigh she made when I slanted my mouth against hers for deeper contact. And—god, yes—her scent floating around me. It calmed and excited me at the same time. I luxuriated in the feeling of perfect contentment even as I savored the potential for more.

I struggled to keep that little bit of space between our bodies. It didn't help when she curled one hand into my hair while the other ran over my shoulder and across my chest. Then back. And again. I muttered a curse against her mouth and pressed my hand over hers, holding it still on my chest. Not for the world would I rush her into something she wasn't ready for. Yet a part of me wanted to move that hand lower. It was a thought I ruthlessly strangled, shoved back behind the wall of control I've cultivated my entire life. Firmly leashed—but still there.

Chloe somehow always sensed my mood. Her kisses became lighter, sweeter. Intent but without that dangerous edge of passion. We smiled into each other's lips and settled into a long, slow kiss.

The light had been growing steadily brighter, the first chirps of birdsong breaking the silence. I easily ignored both. It was the distant voices that knocked me out of the moment. I sat up—rather abruptly if Chloe's startled yelp was any indication. She quieted quickly after one look at my face. We'd been doing this life-on-the-run thing too long and well. She didn't ask any questions, just watched me carefully and waited for her cue to hide or take off.

No longer distracted, I caught the next yell more clearly. I recognized the voice immediately, which only made me tense more, not less. Dread and panic filled me. I turned to Chloe.

"It's Dad."


	2. Chapter 2

**A Night Out**

**by TheBooknerd**

Disclaimer: Still not mine.

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><p><strong>Chapter Two<strong>

"It's Dad." I caught something else. "And—fuck. Simon. They're looking for us."

Chloe stared at me like I'd just insulted her mother. "Is this an attempt at humor?"

I just looked at her.

"Right." She scrambled to her feet, brushed dirt from her jeans and finger-combed her hair. "Can we make a getaway?"

I edged out of the thicket as much as I dared and cocked my head towards the sound of voices. "I don't think they'll stumble upon us in the next minute or two, but they're between us and the clearing where I left my clothes."

Without turning, I reached back for her hand. When it didn't come I glanced over my shoulder. "Chloe. Priorities."

She yanked her eyes up to mine and glowered. "I'm _trying_. You don't make it easy, you know."

I had to smile despite the situation. "Something to discuss later. Definitely."

"Okay. Fine. What's the plan?"

Good question. What _was_ the plan? No doubt, Simon alerted Dad after waking and finding my bed hadn't been slept in. I took a moment to think, maybe I _shouldn't_ make the bed every day. No matter. They knew it was my weekly night to Change and would have immediately checked on Chloe. Clearly, neither of us made it home last night. So there was no use pretending we'd slipped out for a very early morning stroll. And our lives as fugitives from an evil cabal meant unexplained absences were a giant no-no in our odd little family. For all they knew, Chloe and I had been kidnapped or murdered in the middle night. So we couldn't avoid them for much longer without making a bad situation worse. Which left the direct route.

"We'll have to go out and meet them."

She grimaced. "Not your greatest idea. I doubt your Dad will be thrilled to find us rolling around in the bushes, naked."

One of us, anyway. "Maybe I could Change . . . " But I couldn't. Sure, it'd been coming along more easily lately. I was still a far cry off from Changing on demand. I saw the same doubt on Chloe's face.

"Priority one is getting you dressed. I'll go and stall while you circle around for your clothes."

"They'll see right through that."

"True, but knowing you're up to no good is different from _seeing _it."

"Good point."

I started to leave. Stopped and looked back at her. She knew what I was thinking—when does she not?—and waved me along.

"I'll be fine. They're not that far, right?"

"Just through those trees," I said, pointing the way.

"And there's nobody else around?"

I did a quick assessment. "Not that I can tell."

"There you go, then."

I nodded and slipped out. Heading north, I took a route perpendicular to Chloe's. I listened as I went, mapping her progress in my mind until I heard her call out. Satisfied she wasn't alone, I zipped along as fast as I dared in bare feet. Funny, the difference a set of padded paws makes. Before long I had circled around back to our favorite clearing. My clothes were just as I'd left them, folded neatly on top of the fallen log. I threw them on and retraced my steps, staying just out of hearing range. Theirs, anyway. I could easily hear Chloe's rambled explanations and put on more speed—she really needed to work on her cover stories.

As I got closer, I found them standing awkwardly together. Chloe fidgeting nervously with her tangled hair—way to be subtle—while Simon tried to be invisible. Dad had his arms crossed, looking about as mad as I'd ever seen him. He didn't say anything, just waited for Chloe's excuses to wind down. And I knew what he was waiting for.

I came forward. "Hey, Dad."

He spun around to face me, eyes narrowed in displeasure. "That's what you say? _Hey Dad_?"

Okay, not a good start. Maybe if I went straight to the apologies . . . "Look, I know we shouldn't have—"

"You clearly don't know, or you wouldn't have done it." He didn't yell. This was worse than yelling. This was the first time he'd ever looked at me like I'd failed him. "What were you thinking, Derek?"

And I couldn't answer him because I didn't know. Explanations circled in the back of my mind, but none of them held up under the weight of that look.

"I . . . " I fell silent.

"Kit, it's not his—"

But Dad cut her off sharply. "Chloe, maybe you should just wait until we talk to your aunt."

She flinched at his tone. I unconsciously stepped between them.

"Dad—"

"You know what, no," he shook his head. "Back to the house, all of you. We'll discuss this there."

So we all marched back to the house in silence. Simon gave me some apologetic looks behind Dad's back. I didn't know what he felt guilty about, but I'd find out later. At the moment I worried about what this might mean for my relationship with Chloe. Nothing good, I was sure. When we reached the back yard I took her hand in mine. I knew things were about to get worse.

Sure enough, Lauren came out the back door looking like she'd just woken up. She glanced from Dad to Chloe and finally me.

"What's going on."

Dad opened his mouth to say something, closed it. "Simon go inside."

Simon started to argue but changed his mind after one look from Dad. He we inside, but I knew he'd head straight for one of the windows.

"Derek and Chloe spent the night in the woods."

"Together?" Lauren asked, frowning at our clasped hands.

Of course, that would be her big concern.

"It wasn't like you're thinking," Chloe protested. "We just fell asleep. Nothing happened."

Lauren didn't look convinced, but Dad waved that aside. "That's beside the point. Things are too dangerous for us—for you two, especially—to be staying out like that. You know better, Derek. I thought I could trust you to take things seriously."

That shook me. He's always trusted me. Was one of the few people who did. I couldn't bear the thought of him doubting me now. But he was right? I couldn't afford to be careless. I had more to lose now than ever.

Chloe got angry. "That's not fair. No one takes our safety more seriously than Derek, and you know it." I squeezed her hand, hating that she had to defend me.

"Is that a fact? For god's sake, you didn't even have your phones with you."

Chloe winced. "I left it to charge."

Dad rounded on me. "And you?"

All I could do was shrug. I actually had taken my phone, but it'd been in my jeans pocket all night. I didn't think that explanation would get me far. "But we were alone out there. If would have known if anyone was close."

"You said yourself, you were asleep. You're not invincible Derek, even if you can Change now."

"I don't think—"

"We live by certain rules for a reason, and you need to remember that."

"It wasn't intentional," Chloe insisted.

"We fell asleep," I said. "We didn't mean to. It won't happen again."

Lauren stepped forward. "No, it won't. Because from now on Chloe stays behind."

We both stared at her. Surely she didn't just say that? Chloe shook her head, hand squeezing mine.

"What? But we—"

"Chloe, don't argue with me. That's my decision and you will accept it."

Chloe didn't say anything more, but her narrowed gaze spoke volumes. I pulled her closer to my side. I felt like the ground was slipping out from under me. I knew what Lauren was trying to do. This was about punishing us, sure, but there was a lot more to it than that. I turned to Dad, horrified to see him nodding in agreement.

"That's probably best."

"Dad, no."

"You've Changed successfully severals time now. You don't need her there anymore."

He was wrong. So incredibly wrong. He didn't understand what it was like. The pain, the fear, the persistent doubt. I _needed_ Chloe there to get through it. But I didn't have to the words to explain that.

"No, I can't—"

"Derek."

"Dad. _Please_."

He hesitated. I didn't ask him for things. In the eleven years I'd been his son, I'd never asked him for anything. I begged him now. "Any other punishment you'd like. Just not that."

"Kit." Dad looked over at Lauren, and they had a silent conversation. It caused a pit in my stomach, wondering what other conversations they'd been having. About me. About Chloe.

Dad looked back at me carefully, looking for . . . I don't know what. A line was being drawn somewhere. I didn't understand it, didn't know which us was doing the drawing. I only hoped Dad and I would be standing on the same side of it. But those hopes were dashed when he said, "It will be fine. I can stay with you from now on." His face went blank when I didn't respond with enthusiasm to that idea. "Or Simon," he added.

"Fine." I glanced down at Chloe and led her to the door. Only to stop in my tracks when Lauren called out.

"Chloe, we need to talk. Alone."

My heart slammed in my chest. Lauren stood back, rigid with purpose.

I'd been expecting this since the beginning, but I still wasn't ready for it. I checked Chloe's eyes. If she wanted me to stay, I would. To hell with the fallout. She frowned in unhappiness. Then lifted her a chin in a gesture I was very familiar with by now. "It's okay," she whispered so that only I heard. "I'll find you after." She gave my hand another squeeze. I let go as slowly as I could. I was being foolish, but I felt like, if I lost that contact, I would never see her again. We finally separated, and I clenched my hand around the sensation of her palm against mine.

"Come on, Derek." Dad herded me into the house. Before the door slammed shut I saw Chloe face off with her aunt, one hand tightly fisted at her side.


End file.
